These are my says about contemporary happenings.. These writings have appeared in newspapers and magazines in Europe, the Middle East — primarily the Gulf Today of Sharjah, the UAE, India, and the Far East, mainly Japan. Some of the writings are critical of the US and that should be attributed to the fact that realities on the ground clearly indicate that American policies are laid down against interests of the Third World.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Passing the buck will not work

July 18, 2008

Passing the buck will not work

According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organisation for Migration, almost five million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country, the vast majority of which had fled since 2003. Over 2.5 million have vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq, up to 1.5 million are living in Syria, and over one million refugees are living in Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Gulf states. The Iraqi government says that 1.2 million Iraqis were displaced before the US-led invasion and ouster of the Saddam Hussein regime because of government repression and economic hardships. Naturally, one would assume that most of them returned home after the regime was toppled. However, that does not seem to have happened. That would mean that at least six million Iraqis belong to the category of displaced, whether inside or outside the country.The UN secretary general's representative, David Shearer, is calling for a national policy to deal with the issue, and the Iraqi government, represented by the minister of immigration and emigration, says efforts are under way to find a permanent solution for emigrants and displaced people's problems.It is unlikely that there would be any early solution to the problem, which is compounded by security fears. Even the heavily fortified "Green Zone" in Baghdad is exposed to security risks that require a major effort that is a heavy drain on the strength of the US military occupying Iraq.The Iraqi government say it has managed to bring back 10,000 displaced people to their residential areas, in addition to helping 5,000 physicians to return to Iraq. The figures sound simple, but even Shearer says that they cannot be heavily relied upon. The government has also warned that warned that it can’t accommodate large numbers of returns. Most of those who returned were subsequently displaced again.The campaign of violent "ethnic cleansing" waged by the different communities in Iraq seems to be have ebbed, but that is no thanks to improved security as touted by the US military. It is because most the "ethnic cleansing" is over and many local communities are armed to defend themselves.The problem needs to be addressed as a top priority by the government of Iraq as the international community because it heralds a major regional crisis. None of the countries hosting the Iraqi refugees, mainly Syria and Jordan, is in a position to offer even the basic facilities to its guests, most of whom live in abject poverty and misery. It is only a matter of time before their frustration explodes into unpredictable consequences. Furthermore, an entire generation of Iraqis is growing up with threadbare connections with their homeland.Here is an excerpt from a letter that the Refugee International agency sent to US President George W Bush early this year. "Iraqi refugees are overwhelming the basic infrastructure of Iraq’s neighbors, in particular Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, raising concerns about the potential for further destabilization of the region. Iraqis have no legal work options in most host countries and are increasingly desperate and in need of humanitarian assistance. Iraqis face challenges in obtaining food, and have trouble accessing host countries’ health and education systems. Women and children are increasingly vulnerable, and a sense of frustration, despair, and abandonment permeates communities of displaced Iraqis throughout the region."Indeed, it is not only Refugee International but also most other refugee aid groups have underlined the US responsibility to help solve the problem. The US, which led the invasion of Iraq and continues to occupy the country, should lead the effort to find an early solution to the crisis. It would be shear irresponsible behaviour if it continues to argue that it is a Iraqi government problem. No matter how hard the US tries to look the other way, the people of Iraq and of the Arab World at large and indeed the international community would never forget that it was the US which created the Iraq problem to start with.

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About Me

I have lived in the Middle East for the past 27 years and believe I do have an opinion of my own about what has been going on here. I respect other people's opinion and views and always welcome criticism.
I have closely followed the developments in the Middle East from close as well as from far in order to get a fair understanding of the issues of the region. I have come up with my own impressions, and do not claim that they represent the most accurate picture. Most of my predictions have come true, and some have gone wrong if only because unexpected and unpredictable players entered the ring.
Currently I am editor the Sharjah-based Gulf Today English-language daily.